o sullivan



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. s. OSULLIVANQ BARREL MAKING MACHINE.

No. 275,072. Patented Apr.3, 1883.

. Invemor WZ fnes ses N PETERS. Pmmm m, Walhington. nAc.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

J. s. OSULLIVAN.

BARREL MAKING MACHINE.

No. 275,072. Patented Apr 3,1883.

W /Znesses I 21 van for UNITED STATES JAMES S. OSULLIVAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF TROY, NEW YORK.

BARREL-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,072, dated April 3, 1883.

Application filed October 6, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES S. OSULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Troy, in the county of ltensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Bending Barrel-staves to Shape, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machinery adapted to bend barrel-staves to form a barrel; and the main object of the invention is to easily bend the staves into the proper shape and position to receive the barrel hoops and heads without breaking or injuriously straining the staves. I attain this object in the mannerand with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine in operation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of three staves as they appear when beginning to bend by my method. Fig. 4 is a plan view of three staves as they appear when beginning to bend by the old method.

The frame G is provided with supportinglegs and longitudinal bars, and having slanting supports 0, connecting with cross-bars of the frame G, which form a cradle for holding the staves arranged in barrel form A. The staves rest within this cradle in a horizontal position, and are built up within the round hoop B at their center. The staves are wider in their middle than at their ends, as shown, and the desired object is to bend the staves until their ends come in contact with each other, which makes a barrel smaller in diameter at the ends than in the middle, and of proper shape to be hooped. I accomplish this object by means of cables or ropes 0, one at each end of the staves. The ropes are fastened at one end to the frame by staples F or any suitable device. The ropes are then passed one or more times around the staves after they have been arranged in the hoop B, as shown, and then are attached by their other ends to the drums D, which are supported by frame G, provided at the other ends with the cogged wheels E, fixed to the axles of the drums. The

shaft U, supported by the standards N upon frame G, is provided with pinions H, adapted to engage with and actuate the wheels E.

The shaft U is also provided at each end with a crank-handle, I, and at or near its middle with the lever-handle K. all adapted to rotate said shaft. The lever K is provided with a ratchet, which cogs the toothed wheel L, fixed to said shaft U. The shaft U is provided at each end with feathers J, to prevent the pinions H from turning thereon, and the pinions are adapted to slide back and forth on said shaft in and out of gear. After the cables have been adjusted, as shown, upon the staves set up in hoop B, the drums D are put in motion by the crank-handles I. If one cable happens to be more taut than the other, so that the ends of the staves on that side are drawn more closely together on that side than on the other, then the pinion H on the taut side is slid on its supporting-shaft toward the handle on that side and out of gear with wheel E, the wheel and drum being held in position by the dog M. The shaft U is then turned by either crank-handle until the ends of the staves are as near alike as possible on both ends of the barrel, when pinion H is slid back into gear with wheel E. Both cables are then easily operated by the powerful lever K to bend the staves down to contact at both ends of the barrel, when the same may be retained by means of suitable hoops. My device is especially useful in manufacturing barrels designed to contain malt and other liquors which require very thick and strong staves.

The present method of bending the staves generally employed is to arrange or set them up on one end in a small hoop placed at one end of the staves, as shown in Fig. 4, which causes the other ,end of the staves to diverge very considerably. A ropeis then passed around the diverging ends, and by it they are drawn together, the hoop W being required only to hold the staves up until the rope is adjusted. Experience proves that about twelve to fifteen per cent. of the staves are broken when bent in this manner. The great advantage of my method will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

By applying the bending-power equally at both ends P and Q, the staves are brought into contact with each other first at their centers.

As the pressure increases and the staves, yield-- contact continually increases, and equally in both directions from the center toward the ends P and Q, from which it appears that when the pressure is greatest toward the end of the operation the breaking strain is almost entirely removed from the center, and is distributed from the center along the staves toward each end of the extreme point of contact.

The contact-pressure along the middle of the staves being greater than at other parts, the fibers of the staves are prevented from bulging and warping at the edges, and unless the material is very defective they will not break or be injured; but when the staves are first confined at one end by a small hoop, T, and the diverging ends R afterward'drawn together, it is plain that the point of contact will not extend much beyond the middle toward the end B until the ends'R are nearly in contact and the pressure almost at the maximum. The result is, the staves are very likely to be broken or injuriously strained at a point slightly removed from the middle toward It, and experiment proves that the usual place of breakage is about two inches from the middle toward the ends last brought together.

When the staves are bent by power applied equally at both ends their curvature is more uniform, and, the violence of the strain being more evenly distributed, there is much less breakage in the use of barrels. Abarrel is no stronger than its weakest part. 4

Instead of cranks and levers, strain or other power may be employed to tighten the cables, employing such devices as may be most con venient to apply the power thereto.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

lhe combination, with mechanism or means for bending and shaping barrel-staves, of a frame provided with the slanting or inclined supports 0, forming a horizontal cradle for the reception of the barrel-staves, as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of September, 1882.

JAS. S. OSULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

N. DAVENPORT, GEO. A. MOSHER. 

